Gettysburg--Culp's Hill and Cemetery Hill

Pfanz follows Gettysburg--The Second Day with a definitive reconstruction of the fighting in a sector which has been neglected by historians. In early July 1863, the Union right wing was based on Cemetery Hill and Culp's Hill. Had the Confederates broken through these positions, Pickett's charge would have been unnecessary. The South nearly succeeded in a series of attacks between July 1 and 3. Pfanz describes Richard Ewell's failure to storm Cemetery Hill on July 1 as a reflection of command friction rather than of incompetence. It nevertheless gave Union troops the respite they needed. Pfanz, a master at describing the tactical details that shaped Civil War battles, is especially adept at evaluating the commanders. Union generals Alpheus Williams and Adolph von Stinewehr and Confederates like ``Maryland'' Steuart and ``Extra Billy'' Smith emerge in full dimension in a book that Civil War buffs and scholars will greet with enthusiasm. (Jan.)